HORTICULTURE IN NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Age, 20 December 1932, Page 7

HORTICULTURE IN NEW ZEALAND.

POSSIBILITIES OF FRUIT GROWING. ORANGES IN THE NORTH. “There has aever been a year in my experience,” said Mr. G. A. Green, Dominion organiser of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, who has just completed a 5000 miles tour throughout New Zealand in the interests of horticulture, “when the country has looked better or Nature has been more prodigal in her gifts. The only shortage is of the tokens (eash) to bring the producer and the consumer together. In other words, man’s system of distribution appears to have been side-tracked, and this country, in company with al- I most every state in the world, is languishing in a land of plenty. Under consumption, not under production, was the evil.” Speaking of the fruit industry as one of the earliest overseas shippers, having been on the committee which organised and shipped the first three shipments in cool storage to England in 1892. he said the development had been phenomenal, taking into account the initial difficulties. A reduction of the varieties, standardisation of packs and cases, and a measure of organised marketing overseas had laid the foundation for the present trade. The coming season promised a lighter crop generally than last year, but the quality was likely to be good The nursery trades were experiencing a difficult time, rhe Horticultural Trades Association, which was and had always stood for service, education and training was endeavouring to live up to the highest ideals of the profession. The diploma now available to students in all branches of horticulture exercised an important influence on the future development in New Zealand. Its influence was even wider than their own Dominion. Educational facilities in horticulture were of a high order. The result was that recently an application had come from a young man in Victoria inquiring if it were possible for him to sit for and obtain the diploma though not a resident of New Zealand.

HORTICULTURAL WEEK Horticultural Week and National Flower Show would take place in Wellington during the last week in January, 1933. In the early part of the week the Institute of Horticulture ConTerence, the annual Banks Memorial Lecture (open free to the public), the Horticultural Trades, Parks Superintendents and Seedmen *s conferences would be held. On the Thursday and -Friday of the same week (January 2728) the National Flowe'r Show would be held. The Wellington and Hutt horticultural societies, supported by all their affiliated organisations were undertaking the conduct of the show, supported t>y a wide organisation which would give it a truly national character. Special displays were arranged, including a citrus display (all NewZealand grown) of 600 square feet Tung oil tobacco, flax and flax products such as had rarely been seen, private and trade displays from all over the •Dominion, in addition to what Wellington and its environs could stage. The whole promises to be one of the best if not. the best horticultural effort ever made in the Dominion. At last vear’s National Show, in Christchurch, 12,000 persons visited the show in two davs NATIONAL BOSE SOCIETY. New Zealand was developing horticulturally quite fast, said Mr. Green. Orderly details and arrangements such as could only be attained by the cooperation of all interested in anv one flower, working in unison was essential for the best results. The scheme aimed at co-operation in exhibition, in all eases through the local horticultural society thus making for general effect, and advancement, while the specialised organisations and local horticultural societies were linked in affiliation to the New Zealand Horticultural Institute. This was the line being now adopted by the proposed National Rose Society, which had supporters in all parts of the Dominion. Mr. Green mentioned what had been done by the Auckland 'branch in less than two years. The Auckland committee had secured the co-operation of the Auckland City Council and an area of 14 acres had been set apart for an Auckland Rose Garden and testing area This was in Parnell Park, one of the best suited areas in Auckland city. The rose nurseries had responded ’ well donating about 300 named rose trees which the Rose Society had planted.’ Mr. F. Penn, an old journalist and rose grower, was the secretary. As the movement developed into a nation-wide one with rose gardens in all centres it was expected that a rose annual giving the dfff n r. rOWS an<l the ros “* t * »f Al™i ff Ti, n w ‘ >uld be issued. Already the National Daffodil Society wdh « °P eration , working in horticultural societies and ?. the New Institute C / Va,io " al Gladiolus before 7 ° n ‘ he < ‘ ards ’ and P r °hablv ™ ld aa —

ORANGES IN THE NORTH of New 7^ qU r7 ted , With the " or "‘ i"e th 7, 2 Un< ' U hard t 0 realliorida h a < s h an a ' le re P utatio " of . least on variety was colored 'and 1301 ’' 114 ® - ,an?crinc ' ” ,7, 7 - and exquisite flavour would make it popular wherever H ™ put on the market in / ? a condition. The value and^2Z?'® t 0 general lemon wa. already well knorn j?, ®"j e n “id that over 20,000 citrus tXs bad been planted out within the la£ five year m north New Zealand PASSION FRUIT. New a tcntiaJ market in „ ®’ n „ J and for / large quantity of st?™ r 7’ “ debcions and inrigorGraf„ un< iuestioned, said Mr. , but the need at the moment, was organisation of the distribution W? t R to Xnlld S G hC Cr ® P WoUld com "'fn<e th . ere , were “veral hundred but at th™ pTOducin « 'bountiful ‘ ,he m °ment there was no sXT^ ,On . a “° ng ’ t the «™wers and ■o organisation to undertake the interested persons outside the grower

but these had so far failed. Here was a great opportunity for effective action. In conclusion, Mr. Green said this was a great little country with a great future. The present depression was only a passing phase, largely man-made, and in time it would certainly pass away, and a brighter day dawn when distribution would be improved and the supply of cash would more nearly approximate the demand for the produce.